Crop blower



Nov. 21, 1939. E. w. SAIBERLICH 2130838 CROP BLOWER v Filed Nov. 29. 1957 3 Sheet's-Sheet 1 FIG. l.

mvemon ERWIN W. SA! BERl-IOH 35 ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1939. E w. SAIBERLICH 2.

CROP BLOWER Filed Nov. 29, 1957 3 Sheecs-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR ERWIN W. SAIBERLICH ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1939.

E W. SAIBERLICH CROP BLOWER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fi1ed Nov. 29, 1937 Patenfed Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Erwin W. Salberlich, Appleton, Wls. asslgnor to Fox Rivet Tractor Company, Appleton, Wls.

Application November 29, 1931, Serlal N0. 117,063

2 Clalms. (CL 302-11) to provide a crop blower in whlch all 01 the parts are balanced on the frame in such a manner that the .device can be readily pulled lang distances by a tractor or the like, or moved by band, slmilar to a wheelbarrow, from one place to another.

Another salient object of my inventlon -is t0 provide a crop blowerembodylng a frame having an endless conveyor for the materlal hingedly connected at its forward end to the frame, and a blower mounted im the frame dlrec'oly in front of the conveyor, whereby a compact structure will be had, which will be convenient to move from one place to another, and one which will occupy a minlmum amount o! space when not in use.

A- further object cf my invention is to provide a light running crop blower embodying a frame for rigldly supporting the blower and for hingedly carrylng the endless conveyor, the intake opening cf the blower being below and at one side of the axlal center of the blower and on the same side as the blower outlet, whereby the conveyor can extend straight into the lnlet opening without forward rise, am! whereby the blower can efiectively handle a large quantity of materlal, and whereby the material will be blown through the blower wlth less friction therein.

A further important object of my inventi0n isto provide a crop blower embodying a relatively short frame having supportlng legs ab the front thereof and a pair of supporting wheels at the rear thereof, and a blower rlgidly mounted on the frame between the pair of supporting legs and the wheels, and an endless conveyor hingedly mounted at its forward end 1:0 the frame above the wheels, r'neans being provided on the frame for raislng and lowering the conveyor.

A further object of my inventlon is to provide a crop blower of the above character in which, when the conveyor ls in its lowered posltion, the frame can be tllted on the wheels, whereby to permit the easy movement cf the devlce from one place to another. A further object of my lnvention is to provide a novel leveler reel mounted directly above the outlet endof the conveyor and in front cf the intake opening of the blower, the reel being adapted to rotate in a direction opposite to the path o1 movement of the endless conveyor,

whereby to throw back the material from the inlet openlng preven1; clogglng cf the blower.

A still turther object of my lnvention is so provide novel means l'or detachably connecting a. tongue with the trame and the outer end of the 5 conveyor, so that the crop blower can be readily connected to a tractor -or other drawing vehicle.

Wlth these and other objects in view, the invention conslsts in the' novel construction, ar-

rangement, und formation of part s, as will be 10 hereinafter more speciflcally described, claimed,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whlch drawings:

Flgure 1 ls a perspective view of my novel crop blower, looking from the forward end thereof. 15 Flgure 2 is a perspective view of the crop blower, looking from the rea'r end. 4

Flgure 3 is a transverse secti0n through the device, with parts thereof broken away and in sectlon, lllustrating the novel means employed for actuatlng the conveyor and other operating parts.

Flgure 4 is a. longitudinal section through the devlce; with parts thereof broken away and in sectlon, illustrating the position of the leveler reel relative to the endless conveyor and the blower inlet opening.

Figure 5 ls a perspective view 01 the crop blower, looklng from one side thereof and showing'the same wlth the tongue attached 1:0 permit the crop blower to be drawn from one place to another.

Flgure 6 is a perspectlve view of the crop blow er, looking from the other side from Figure 5 and showing the endless conveyor in its completely raised posltlon.

Flgure 7 ls a detall perspective view of the tongue.

Figure 8 is an enlarged, detail sectional view illustratir'xg one means for detachably connecting the tongue to the frame.

R@ferring to the drawlngs in detail, wherein slmilar reference eharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letzter C generally indicates my improvecl crop blower, which includes a main supporting frame III preflrably fabricated from angle lron or the like for structurfl strength.

As illustrated, the frame I0 incldes a front transverse angle bar l l, and rearwardly directed 50 parallel side bars I2. Sec'ured to the corners 01 the frame are depending legs or standards I3, and braces I4 are utilized for connecting the legs wlth the top angle bars. The rear end of the frame has rlgidly bolted, riveted o1 welded there- 55 to downwardly and rearwardly extendlng brackets I5 tor sll'pporting the wheel spindles I5 on whic'zh are rotatably mounted the ground wheels I1.

Rlgldlymounted within the top frame is the blower caslng I8, and sultable braces can be utilized for securing the blower casing in place. 'I'hls blower casing is proVlded wlth a tangentlally extending outlel} I9, to whlch is adapted to be connected the blower pipes 20 for conveying materlal to a silo or the like.

The rear face of the blower casing has Iormed therein the intake opening 2I, and attentlon is particularly directed to the fact that this open- Ing is located below and at one side of the axlal center of the casing and on the same side 01 the casing as the blower outlet I9.

Extending into the axlal center of the blower casing 15 the main drive shaft, and this shaft can be mounted in any preferred type o1 bearings 23 carried by the frame I ll. The lnner end of the shaft was keyed or otherwlse secured thereto the hub of the blower wheel 24. A drlve pulley 25 is keyed or otherwise secured to the unter end of the shaft 22, whereby said shaft can be' drlven from a tractor or a stationary englne, as may be preferred.

The drive for the varlous other operatlng parts of the device is taken from the shaft 22, and hence this shaft has keyecl or otherwise secured thereto a sprocket wheel 26, over which is trained a sprocket chain 21 leading to a sprocket wheel or V pulley 28 fastened to a jack or counter-shaft 29. This shait 29 extends in parallel relation to the shaft 22 and is rotatably mounted in any preferred type of bearlngs mounted on the frame I0. If desired, a protecting housing 311 can be placed around the sprocket wheels 26 and 28 and over the chaln 2l.

Hingedly mounted on the frame'is the rearwardly directed conveyor 3l, and this conveyor can be of a troughlike sh ape formed from sheet metal of the desired gauge.

The opposite ends cf the trough, below the bottom wall thereof, carry transversely extendlng shafts 32 and 33, to which are keyed the sprocket wheels 34 for the endless conveyor chains 35. These chains carry suitable flights 35, and the fiights carried by the top runs of the chains travel over the bottom Wall of the conveyor trough. Any suitable means can be provided for taking up slack in the endless conveyor.

One '0f the salient features of the invention is the fact that the conveyor is hingedly mounted on the frame, so that the conveyor can be swung to a raised and lowered position. Thus, the conveyor trough, adjacent its forward end, carries bearingg 37, which are mounted upon a trans- -versely extending shaft 38 carried bythe frame I0. Suitable braces are provided for supporting the bearings on the trough, and the bearings on the frame can be mounted upon rearwardly projecting angle bars 39 rigidly secured to a crossbeam 40 connected with the side bars I2.

The angle bars 39 are also supp0rted by braces 4I leading from the derrick tower 42. This derrick tower can be constructed from angle iron, and the legs or standards thereof have their lower ends rigidly secured to the corners of the frame. The upper end of the derrlck tower 42 rotatably supports a pulley sheave 43, over which is trained a pull cable 44.

One end of the cable is attached to ayoke 45 pivotally connected to the trough, and the other end o1 the Gable is wound about a windconveyor shaft 32.

lass drum 45. The windlass drum is keyed o1 o'therwise secured to a shatt 41 rotatably mounted in bearing plates 48 mounted upon the tower.

' This shaft; is also provided with a Eear wheel 45, whlch meshes with a plnion 50 attached to the band shaft 5l. This hand shaft 5l is also rotatably mounted in the bearing plates 48 and either end cf the shaft carries a hand crank 52, whereby the windlass drum can be rotated.

From the foregoing description, lt can be seen that by turning the crank 52, the cable 44 can be wound upon the drum, and that the trough and its endless conveyor can be raised and 10W- ered. A pivoted dog 53 is provlded for engaging the gear wheel 49, so as to hold the drum against movement and the conveyor in a. preferred positlon.

Mounted above the inner end of the conveyor is a leveler reel 54. This leveler reel includes outwarclly extending material-engaging prongs 55, and the reel is secured to a shaft 56. The shaft 56 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 51 carried by forwardly extending arms 58 rockably mounted on the frame I0. Thus, the leveler reel is free to float relative to the conveyor, and downward movement of the leveler reel can be limited by chalns 59.

The leveler reel and the endless conveyor are drlven from the counter-shaft 29, and thus the rear end of this counter-shait has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a beveled pinion 60, which meshes with a bevel gear 5l carried by a transversely extending shaft 62 arranged in freut of the blower caslng.

This shaft is mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame, and the shaft and the meshing beveled gears can be housed within a suitable casing. The inner end of the shaft 62 has secured thereto spaced sprocket wheels 63 and 54. The sprocket wheel 63 has trained thereabout a drlve sprocket chain 55, which leads over a sprocket wheel 55 keyed or otherwise secured 1:0 the front The sprocket wheel 54 has trained thereover a spr00ket chain S'il, which leads over a sprocket wheel 68 keyed or otherwise secured to the leveler reel shaft 56.

In Figures 1 and 2, the conveyor is shown in its lowered position for receiving material to be stored, and thus persons can stand 011 eith'er side of the conveyor and toss the material into.

' blower casing, the conveyor can extend directly into the opening, and hence the conveyor trough does n0t have to be provided with an upwardly inclined portion. Likewise, the opening 2I being ek:centrically disposed and on the same slde of the blower casing as the outlet, the material only travels a short distance in the blower casing, and the handling capacity of the blower is increased, and the friction of th'e materlal on the wa1ls of the blower caslng is decreased.

In Figure 6, the conveyor is shown in its ralsed position, and obviously the device can be ea.sily moved by band from one place to another, and the same will occupy a minlmum amount of space when not in use.

In Figure 5, the device is shown with the conveyor in a partially lowered positlon, and with the conveyor swung down, so that the frame H) will pivot about the ground wheels to raise the legs of the frame above the ground. In th1s position the device can be moved wheelbarrow fashion by band or long distances by a drawing vehicle. A tongue is provided for permitting the d?- vice to be attached to a. tractor or other drawing vehicle.

The tongue 10 can take vario us forms, but as illustrated, the same has its rear end forked, as at II, and provided with depending hooks 12 for engaging through eyes 13 on the wheel brackets.

Rockable spring-pressed latch plates 14 are provided for engaging the hooks to prevent displacement thereof from the eyes. The tongu6, adjacent its forward end, can carry a. cross-bar 15, which is adapted to be attached to the depending bracket 1egs 16 carried by the conveyor trough ad jacent its rear end. Any preferred type of hitch 11 can be utilized. for connecting the tongue wlth a drawbar.

Attention is directed 1:0 the fact that the leveler reel 54 rota.tes in a direction opposlte the trav6l cf the top run of the conveyor belt, and thus should the material crowd about the blower intake opening, the leveler reel will eflfectively function to throv'v the material back onto the conveyor.

Likewise, by using this 1eveler reel I am enabled to thoroughly mix crude mo1asses or the like with feed material at the time of the storing thereof.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or 'ohe scope of my Invention, but what I c1aim as new ls:

1. A crop blower comprising a. Irame, dependextending whee1 brackets ing front legs ecured to the Irame,. rearwardly extending wheel brackets on the rea.r end of the frame, ground wheels r0ta.tably carried by the brackets, a. blower casing rigidly secured to the frame and eXtending transversialy thereof a.nd to the line of travel cf the crop blower, a longitudinally extending conveyor hingedly c0nnected to the frame in rear cf the blower, said conveyor extending parallel with the line of travel of the crop blower, the frame being rockable an the wheels, and means for raising and lowering the conveyor on the frame and holding the same in a desir ed position, whereby the frame ancl conveyor can be swung as a unit on the wheels to litt the legs above the wheels and ground.

2. A crop blower comprising a frame, depending fronl: legs secured to the frame, rearwardly on the rear end of the frame, ground wheels rotatably ca.rried by the brackets, a blower casing rigidly secured to the frame and extending transversely thereof and to the line of travel of the crop blower, a longitudinally extendlng conveyor hingedly connected to the frame in rear cf the blower, said conveyor extending parallel with the line of tra.vel 01 the crop blower, the frame being rockable an the wheels, means for raising and lowering the conveyor on the frame and holding the same in a. desired position, whereby the frame a.nd conveyor ca.n be swung as a un1t on the wheels to litt tue 1egs above the wheels and ground, a.nd means for haullng the crop blower from the unter end 015 the conveyor.

ERWIN S. SAIBERLICE. 

